Grand Couloir

Grand Couloir

Two climbers traversing Grand Couloir in Aiguille du Goûter during our Mont Blanc retreat. They cross below the wire because it was too high then. A storm happened on high altitude on August 16th, 2001.
Diego Sahagún
on Jun 20, 2002 12:21 pm
Image ID: 7869

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Ron Walker

Ron Walker - Jul 26, 2002 6:23 am - Hasn't voted

Grand Couloir

The crossing of the couloir is extremely dangerous due to rocks bing knocked down from careless climbers and incompetant guides clients above on the Goutier ridge...it can become a bowling alley at times and a bit of a lottery, so make sure it's clear and don't hang about. I've seen several people being killed at this spot. and I've only been there a few times over the years ....so take care......the problem is the couloir looks easy and many climbers are so defudled by the altitude they are completely unware of the mortality rate even when it happens in front of them...very surreal.....

wingedfeet

wingedfeet - Jul 13, 2005 2:11 pm - Hasn't voted

Don't be a dope use a rope!

I will recommend that at the crossing of the corridor you use a rope, particularly if you are doing the mountain alone. The crossing looks easy but it is very slippery and under icy conditions it can be tricky, this is a place where you don't want to fall. Hooking yourself to the cable will only take a few minutes and it can literally save your life, the rope has to be long enough to allow you to move and not to pull you off the trail, in most cases you will only need a few feet of rope.

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